AP: Duke expects to settle coal ash investigation for $100M

The Associated Press reports that Duke Energy officials have said the company expects to settle the federal criminal investigation, following last year’s coal ash spill in North Carolina, for $100 million.

The spill occurred a little more than a year ago on Feb. 2, 2014, when a stormwater pipe burst beneath Duke Energy’s retired coal ash impoundment at the Dan River Power Station, pouring an estimated 30-39,000 tons of coal ash and millions of gallons of wastewater into the Dan River near Eden, N.C. The spill covered the Dan River in more than 70 miles of toxic sludge.

In articles from mid-2014, the AP reports that Duke spent $15 million on containing the spill. But that doesn’t account for the $100 million criminal investigation settlement, which focuses on the energy company’s environmental violations for unsafe coal ash storage, the most recent inspection reports for Duke’s 14 coal-fired power plants and rumors of alleged ties with state government and environmental agencies.

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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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